"Our Take" - Call Center Numbers Stink

(Past Editions by: Date, Title, Topic)

 
About "Our Take" 
"Our Take" is a collection of daily vignettes covering a wide range of CRM topics. It's an attempt to add our own spin to the world of CRM. We will use the column to share our perspectives, opinions, epiphanies, web nuggets, or quite frankly anything that moves us. Get ready to expect the unexpected. And, don't be shy about sharing your thoughts.
 
 
6/29/06 - Call Center Numbers Stink
"Call center numbers stink!" Actually, this response from one reader didn't use the word 'stink' but I used that word as a replacement so your email filters would deliver this email newsletter. The reader also shared his feelings in capital letters.
 
The reader went on to say, "There is no direct relationship between metrics and values and most numbers are a big detriment to the call center experience. The simple question is: What should be measured? The value of a call center should reflect the value of the organization, and the organization's values should not include the sheer number of calls answered, or how fast I get rid of a caller."
 
Automation allows us to measure so many operational aspects of the call center. But has the reliance on those easy-to-acquire metrics lulled us into taking our eye off the metrics that really matter - the customer experience? How many of you feel like slaves to meaningless metrics that get hoisted up the corporate flagpole?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
6/30/06 - Not So Fast
Yesterday's column ("Call Centers Numbers Stink") certainly created quite a buzz. Somehow I knew that would be the case. So I thought I would share some of the responses with you.
 
One reader wrote, "For years call centers measured themselves by typical ACD metrics. These metrics are a good measure of efficiency but have nothing to do with effectiveness. And many times these efficiency targets are achieved at the expense of effectiveness. No wonder customer satisfaction is dropping. As much as some call center people want to get away from metrics they do serve a purpose."
 
The reader went on to say that you can't get away from the responsibility to manage operating expenses so efficiency metrics are here to stay. So it is a matter of balancing efficiency and effectiveness and that take a whole new management mindset that is not solely focused on the ACD metrics.
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
7/3/06 - Do You Know What To Measure?
I had coffee last week with an industry friend. Every time we meet, I'm more energized about the world of CRM and all the possibilities. He shared a story that relates to our on-going discussion about call center metrics.
 
His story involved a new job managing a call center. Right away he started to receive quite a few management reports. He discovered that the organization had a team of people that did nothing but create reports and statistics. He went to his management team and discovered that over 70 of the 90+ reports were not being read by anyone.
 
It took him six months to get the organization to stop producing reports that no one read. That story made me think about your organization. Are you reporting on things that no one cares about? More importantly, are you spending time creating statistics that no one acts upon? What if you "killed" the majority of management reports in your organization? Would anyone show up for the "wake?"
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
7/5/06 - Do You Know What To Measure - Part II
On Monday, I talked about getting rid of meaningless reports. Why is that so important? There are many reasons but one is freedom. (OK, I had to work "freedom" into the discussion given the U.S. holiday this week).
 
By discovering and eliminating metrics and reports of little or no value, you free up resources to discover and focus on metrics that really matter. One reader suggested that, "Leadership should focus on result metrics that tie directly to the goals of the organization." Of course, the assumption is that the organization has the right customer focused goals.
 
It seems all roads lead back to leadership. The reader added that, "You need experienced leaders who know what to measure. They need to know how to interpret metrics. And, most importantly, they need to take action on the metrics. You also need an integrated performance management system to track performance and a process of giving feedback and rewarding achievement." Is that how your operation runs?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
7/6/06 - Not all Experiences Should Have the Same Metrics
I very much enjoyed reading an email from one reader that pointed out that while the same efficiency metric might apply to all customer interactions, the benchmark for acceptable performance may differ greatly depending on the type of customer request.
 
He said, "At our help desk we do not treat each desk the same. For example, password reset calls should be short and consistently performed. Complex, problem-solving calls can typically last much longer and should not be held to the password reset benchmarks."
 
That is the risk of measuring average efficiency metrics. It doesn't tell the whole story. In fact, some could argue that it tells no story at all. The reader added that, "Such measurements in the raw do not tell you much and can actually be dangerous and counterproductive." Do you agree?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)